The promise of a savioUr
Monday, November 22 | Video Introduction
Tuesday, November 23 | Personal or Family Devotional
Wednesday, November 24 | Advent Music
Thursday, November 25 | Special Activity
Friday, November 26 | Family Activity
Saturday, November 27 | Advent Candle Lighting
Sunday, November 28 | Sunday AM Service @ 10.00am
Monday, november 22 | VIDEO INTRODUCTION
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23
PERSONAL or FAMILY DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Adam Van Dop
The first book of the bible, Genesis, tells us how creation stopped short when sin and brokenness entered the world at the fall. When God was speaking curses to Adam, Eve, and the serpent, God told them of the coming Hope. He told them that one day as everything went wrong, all would be made right. God cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, forever placing a great distance between them and Himself.
In the first book of the New Testament, Matthew tells us of Christ’s birth, and tells his readers,
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).
Matthew 1:22-23 | ESV
God at this moment crossed the distance and placed Himself amongst humanity. Immanuel. God with us. God no longer apart from us. God no longer at a distance from us.
This is the essence of Hope coming to earth. Jesus then spent 30 years sharing His life with His mother, Mary and His brothers and sisters. Once baptized, Jesus entered ministry, showing humanity a new way to live into the Hope of His Father. Matthew closes his gospel account telling us how Jesus returned to heaven at the ascension, leaving us Christ’s final words on earth.
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:18-20 | ESV
It might have felt like the moments following the fall, that hope was lost as Christ left earth. However, catch the promise at the end of Jesus’ words. Christ will be with us “always, to the end of the age.” Forever. From that moment onwards there will never be a moment where we will experience a distance or separation from God.
Jesus said in John 14:3, “I will come back.” Then in the last chapter of the last book of the bible, Revelation 22, Jesus tells us three times (22:7, 12, & 20), “I am coming soon.” While our hope in God was made complete in the gift of His Son that first Christmas day, our hope remains as we wait upon His return.
Paul writes to the Romans about this same hope:
Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Romans 8:24-25 | ESV
The band, For King & Country, sings a song called “For God is with Us.” A line in the chorus sings,
So let us begin, the celebration and the ceremony,
There's silence on Earth, but the Heavens are roarin'
Tellin' the story of the coming glory
So let us begin the celebration of the coming glory of our Saviour this Christmas Season as we wait patiently, with hope that He will do, what it is that He said He will do!
WEdnesday, November 24 | ADVENT Music
By Jason McNabb
The very familiar Advent carol, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, forms a petition to God in the heart of His people. It is a prayer of hope, that He would come and fulfill the promises given in scripture for all that the Saviour-King would be. The familiar messianic passage from Isaiah 9 reminds us that the Lord’s Servant will establish and uphold His reign on earth with justice and righteousness, and it will be forevermore. In light of this promise, it is no wonder that He should be called,
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 | ESV
And it is with that very same hope in mind, that this carol—hailing from the “O Antiphons” in the very long history of the church—cries out for God to come and to finally and fully establish His kingdom. It points to the promise of Messiah, the Christ-child, who was born of a virgin in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. Moving beyond, it points to a future promise, that Jesus Christ will come again! And we can be sure, along with Paul, that He will surely bring His plans to completion in Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).
O come, Emmanuel, our God with us—be with us in our time of need.
O come, our Dayspring, our Morning Star—push back the darkness!
O come, heavenly Wisdom—nourish us with your word, and lead your people.
O come, Desire (King) of the Nations—establish your unending government of peace (Shalom) with justice and righteousness forevermore.
O Come O Come Emmanuel
John Mason Neale, Thomas Helmore
Verse 1
O come O come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear
Chorus
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel
Verse 2
O come Thou Dayspring come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death's dark shadows put to flight
Verse 3
O come Thou Wisdom from on high and order all things far and nigh
To us the path of knowledge show and cause us in her ways to go
Verse 4
O come Desire of nations bind all peoples in one heart and mind
Bid envy strife and quarrels cease fill the whole world with heaven's peace
© Public Domain
Listen and watch the song HERE SPOTIFY PLAYLIST APPLE MUSIC PLAYLIST
THursday, November 25
Special Activity
ADVENT WREATH
For this activity, your entire family can gather around and make your
2021 Advent wreath that will be used during the 4 weeks of Advent.
Supplies and wreath design suggestions will be in the ADVENT ACTIVITY BOX
which was made available via pre-registration in November.
Pick up your box at the church on Sunday morning, November 21.
**These activity boxes that were supposed to be available on November 21, will be available this coming Sunday, November 28.
THURSDAY, november 25 | 412live
We in invite one and all to join our
412LIVE event
here at Gateway Church, in our auditorium.
It'll be a time of worship, reflecting, a few light games - centered upon the theme of Hope!
The event will begin at 7.00pm, and will conclude by 8.30pm.
Saturday, November 27
Candle lighting
Adult/Parent: Set aside ten minutes tonight to talk about God’s promise to rescue His children from sin. The only materials needed are five candles, matches, and a Bible.
LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT CANDLE
Have one member of the family light the first candle.
SCRIPTURE READING
Have one person read the following passages out loud.
Before they left the garden, God whispered a promise to Adam and Eve: “It will not always be so! I will come to rescue you! And when I do, I’m going to do battle against the snake. I’ll get rid of the sin and the dark and the sadness you let in here. I’m coming back for you!” And he would. One day, God himself would come.
~ The Jesus Storybook Bible
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
~ Isaiah 9:6
REFLECTION
Have an adult read the commentary below.
When might you need to be saved from danger? Whom would you call upon to rescue you? For example, if there were a fire, whom would you call to save you? What are rescuers typically like?
In the very beginning, God created a perfect world. There was no sin, pain, sickness, death, or sadness. God created Adam and Eve to live in His perfect world with joy and peace. But Adam and Eve sinned. They disobeyed God. When they sinned, God’s perfect world broke.
There was a punishment for Adam and Eve’s sin. Because God is perfect, He cannot be near sin. So Adam and Eve were separated from God. The punishment for their sin would also be placed on all humans who were born after Adam and Eve.
But before Adam and Eve left God’s perfect Garden, God made a promise. God promised to send a Rescuer, someone to save Adam, Eve, and mankind from the punishment of sin. He promised to send Jesus!
God did not send Jesus to rescue His people right away. God waited thousands of years to send the Rescuer. During that time, God’s people faced many hard things. While they waited, God gave them hints and clues about how Jesus would come, what He would do, and what He would be like. These hints, written in Scriptures by prophets, would help God’s people wait. The verse from Isaiah that we read together after lighting the Advent candle was written while God’s people waited those thousands of years for the Savior.
Some days, God’s children waited patiently. Some days, they waited with tears and frustration. Some days, they wondered if God had forgotten His promise. But God continued to whisper it over and over again as His children waited. And one day, when no one was expecting it, Jesus would come.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank you for your goodness and mercy in sending Jesus to rescue us from our sins! AMEN!
OPTIONAL SINGING/LISTENING
As a family, sing or listen to “Come, Though Long Expected Jesus.”
